Mixing device



July 18, 1967 M. J. NASSER 3,

MIXING DEVICE Filed June '7, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.i

Margaret J. Nasser IN VENTOR.

B EMF M. J. NASSER MIXING DEVICE July 18, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 7, 1966 M. J. NASSER MIXING DEVICE July 18, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I00 Fig. 4

Filed June 7, 1966 4 0 4 A w \\v1 4 A v F 8 4 6 a m 0 mu 3 in. h 0 a m U f i w z 0 Qu z.. 2 2 Fmw f 2 8 a Z 4 Margaref J. Nasser INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,331,588 MIXING DEVICE Margaret J. Nasser, West Terre Haute, Ind. (212 Wabash Ave, Terre Haute, Ind. 47801) Filed June 7, 1966, Ser. No. 555,751 11 Claims. (Cl. 259-75) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An oscillatable support for receiving thereon and supporting therefrom a selected container of heterogeneous mixture and including resilient means for retaining said container on said support.

This invention relates to a novel and useful mixing device and more specifically to an apparatus designed specifically for shaking containers of generally heterogenous mixtures in order to form a generally homogeneous mixture thereof.

Although the mixing device of the instant invention is primarily designed for use in conjunction with containers of nail polish which must be thoroughly shaken prior to use in order to insure uniform color and consistency of the nail polish, the mixer may also be utilized to support and vigorously shake or vibrate various other containers having heterogeneous mixtures therein which must be vibrated to obtain a homogeneous mixture.

The mixing device of the instant invention, in its preferred form, shall be small enough to be placed upon a ladys vanity dresser or any other suitable location and will have a pleasing appearance. Further, the mixing device Will also be provided with suction cup support means whereby it may be supported on any suitable generally horizontally disposed surface and operated without the mixing device creeping along its supporting surface or vibrating in contact therewith in a manner causing an undesirable sound.

The main object of this invention is to provide a mixing device for shaking containers of nail polish or the like and which will be constructed in a manner such that it may be readily operated by women desiring to properly mix nail polish prior to applying the nail polish to their nails.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a mixing device including a housing adapted to support a plurality of containers of nail polish (inasmuch as many women change the shade of their nail polish several times a week) and support means for a bottle or container of nail polish to be shaken which is oscillatably supported relative to the housing of the mixing device and has motor means operatively connected thereto in a manner such that the oscillatable support for the container to be shaken may be rapidly vibrated.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a mixing device in accordance with the preceding objects which will present a pleasing appearance.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a mixing device in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the mixing device of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane indicated by the section line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane indicated by section line H of FIGURE 2,;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View of the mixing device shown with the oscillatable container support therefor ready to have a container to be shaken placed thereupon and secured in position prior to operation of the mixing device; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the mixing device with the housing and oscillatory container support thereof removed.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the mixing device of the instant invention. The device 10 includes a mounting base generally referred to by the reference numeral 12 which is generally panel-like in configuration and which has a plurality of suction cup-type support feet 14 dependingly supported therefrom. An upstanding support structure generally referred to by the reference numeral 16 is supported from the base 12 in any convenient manner and includes a pair of side-by-side support plates 18 between whose upper ends the lower end of a support arm 20 is oscillatably supported by means of a pivot pin 22.

An electric motor generally referred to by the reference numeral 24 is supported from the base 12 in any convenient manner such as by fasteners 26 secured through the base 28 of the motor 24 and the motor 24 includes a ro tatable output shaft 30 upon which a flywheel 32 is mounted. The flywheel 32 includes an outwardly projecting and eccentrically located crankpin 34 upon which one end of an elongated connecting rod 36 is journaled. The other end of the connecting rod 36 includes a bifurcated end portion 38 between whose furcations 40 and 42 a midportion of the support arm 20 disposed centrally intermediate its opposite ends is pivotally secured by means of a suitable pivot fastener 44.

A housing assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 46 is provided and includes a pair of opposite side walls 48 and 50, a pair of opposite end walls 52 and 54, and a pair of top wall sections 56 and 58. The housing 46 opens downwardly and is secured to the base 12 in any convenient manner by means of fasteners 60, see FIGURE 2.

The top wall section 56 has a longitudinal slot 62 formed therein through which the upper end of the support arm 20 projects and a generally channel-shaped support member 64 is secured to the upper end of the support arm 20 above the top wall section 56 in any convenient manner such as by fasteners 65. The support member 64 includes a pair of upstanding legs 66 and 68 interconnected at their lower ends by means of a bight portion 70, see FIGURE 3, and has disposed between the legs 66 and 68 thereof a resilient pad 72 which may be constructed of any suitable foam rubber-like material.

The top wall section 58 includes means defining a plurality of upwardly opening recesses 76 in which a plurality of containers of nail polish or the like may be disposed. Further, the support member 64 includes a plurality of outwardly extending and downturned hooks 78 spaced along each of the legs 66 and 68 and a pair of additional outwardly projecting and downturned spaced hooks 80 on the rear edge 82 of the bight portion 70.

A pair of elongated elastic strap members 86 are provided and each includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures 88 in one end thereof and the other end of each strap or strap member 86 is secured to the front edge 90 of the bight portion 70 as at 92, see FIGURE 5.

The electric motor 24 is of the variable speed type and any suitable control (not shown) may be provided for controlling the speed of the operation of the motor 24. In addition, the motor 24 may be powered by any suitable battery pack (not shown) enclosed within the housing 46. However, the embodiment of the invention illustrated includes conductor means 96 for electrically connecting the motor 24 to any suitable source of house current through a control switch assembly 98 supported from the side wall 50 of the housing 46.

When it is desired to mix nail polish within a container such as container 100 by vigorously and rapidly shaking the latter upon operation of the mixing device 10, the container 109 is disposed on the pad 72 and the elastic straps 86 are encircled about and crossed over the neck end portion of the container 160 and looped about the center hooks 78 on the opposite side of the support member 64.v

Thereafter, the free ends of the straps 86 are again crossed over the container 100 and the hooks 80 projecting rearwardly of the rear surface 82 of the bight portion 70 are engaged in selected pairs of the apertures 88 in order to insure that the container 100 will be tightly secured on the support member 64. Then, the switch 98 may be actuated to effect operation of the motor 24 and to in turn cause the support member 64 to be rapidly and vigorously oscillated. After a short period of oscillation of the support member 64, the operation of the motor 24 may be terminated and the container 100 may then be removed from the, support member 64 so that the nail polish within the container 100 may be applied.

It will be noted that the support member 64 is adapted to cradle the container 100 while the latter is in a horizontal position and that the support member 64 is oscillated back and forth along a path extending generally longitudinally of the container 100. In this manner, full use of the rapid oscillation of the support member 64 may be realized to quickly and thoroughly agitate the heterogeneous mixture in the container 100 until it has become a homogeneous mixture.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly allsuitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention,

as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A mixing device for shaking containers of generally heterogeneous mixtures in order to form a generally homogenous mixture thereof, said device comprising a base, a support occillatably supported from 'said base, means carried by said base and operatively associated with said support for selectively oscillating the latter, said support including resilient upwardly facing pad means A1 for support of a selected container thereon, and elastic strap means carried by said support and adapted to be releasably secured over a container on said resilient pad means. 7

2. A- mixing device for shaking containers of generally heterogeneous mixtures in order to form a generally homogeneous mixture thereof, said device comprising a base, a support oscillatably supported from said base, means carried by said base and operatively associated with said support for selectively oscillating the latter, said support including means defining container support means for support of a selected container thereon, container anchor means carried by said support and adapted to releasably secure said container on said container support means, said container support means including resilient container cradling means adapted to cradle said container, said container anchor means including resilient means adapted to engage at least the side of said container remote from said container cradling means and yieldingly urge said container into seated position within said container cradling means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said container anchor means includes an elongated elastic member including longitudinally spaced portions anchored to said container support means and a portion intermediate said spaced portions adapted to embracingly engage the side of said container remote from said container cradling means.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support includes a mounting arm rigidly supported and projecting.

outwardly therefrom, the free end of said mounting arm being pivotally supported from said base.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said means operatively associated with said support includes motor means supported from said base and including rotatable output shaft means, an elongated connecting rod having one end rotatably journalled on an eccentrically disposed portion of said output shaft means and the other end oscillatably connected to said arm at a point disposed between the axis of rotation of said arm relative to said "base and said e support.

6. In combination, a base, said base including means defining an upwardly opening multi-compartmented receptacle adapted to receive a plurality of containers to be selectively and individually vibrated, a support oscillatably supported from said base and disposed adjacent said receptacle, means carried by said base and operatively associated with said support for selectively oscillating the latter, said support including means defining container support means for support of a selected container thereon, and container anchor means carried by said support and adapted to releasably secure said container on said container support means.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said container support means includes resilient container cradling means adapted to cradle said container.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said container anchor means includes resilient means adapted to engage atleast the side of said container remote from said container cradling means and yieldingly urge said container into seated position within said container cradling means.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said container anchor means includes an elongated elastic member including longitudinally spaced portions anchored to said container support means and a portion intermediate said spaced portions adapted to'embracingly engage the side of said container remote from said container cradling means.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said means defining said receptacle includes a slotted generally horizontal wall portion, the portion of said arm disposed intermediate said support and said point projecting through 7 5 6 being pivotally supported from said base, said means oper- References Cited atively associated With said support including motor means UNITED STATES PATENTS supported from said base and having rotatable Output shaft means, an elongated connecting rod having one 52 55 dttbl'u 11d nt'lld'od 1 i en 33 Y] T113 8 on an ecce r193 Y P 5e P 5 3,128,082 4/1964 Cline 259 72 tion of said output shaft means and the other end oscillatably connected to said arm at a point disposed between the axis of rotation of said arm relative to said base and WALTER SCHEEL Primary Examiner said support. ROBERT W. JENKINS, Examiner. 

1. A MIXING DEVICE FOR SHAKING CONTAINERS OF GENERALLY HETEROGENEOUS MIXTURES IN ORDER TO FORM A GENERALLY HOMOGENOUS MIXTURE THEREOF, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A BASE, A SUPPORT OCCILLATABLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID BASE, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BASE AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SUPPORT FOR SELECTIVELY OSCILLATING THE LATTER, SAID SUPPORT INCLUDING RESILIENT UPWARDLY FACING PAD MEANS 